Arrangement for controlling firearms



April 26, 1938. R. DEFlvEs ARRANGEMENT FOR CONTROLLING FIREARMS 5 Sheets-Sheet l Filed March 27, 1936 April 26, 1938. R. DEFIVES ARRANGEMENT FOR CONTROLLING FIREARMS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 27, 1936 ma. NON f nu. WS.

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EN QN 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 27, 1936 April 26, 1938. R, DEFlVEs 2,115,483

ARRANGEMENT Fon CONTROLLING FIREARMS Filed MaICh 27, 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 April 26, 1938. R. DEFIVES 2,115,483

ARRANGEMENT FOR CONTROLLING FIRARMS Filed March 27, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 reieiiied apice, 193e i i y f i' 2,115,483

ARRANGEMENT Fon coN'ritoLLINci e FmEAnMs Raymond Delives, Brussels, Belguim, assigner to Servo-Frein Dewandre Socit Anonyme, Liege, Belgium .Application March 21,.'1936, serial Nc. '11,267 ni France April s, v1935 6' Claims. (Cl. 89-27) -My invention relates to control arrangements by electro-magnetic valves and by a distributing forrre arms and is concerned specially with a cock.

pneumatic device for-the remote control of ma- Figure 8 is a longitudinal section of an alterchine guns on aeroplanes, and in particular those native pneumatic apparatues having a locking mounted on the wings of aeroplanes. arrangement shown in the disengaged position. 5

. The invention consists in uniting into a com. Figure 9 is a fragmentary view, similar-to Figpact device of reduced weight and bulkiness, fixed ure 8, showing the locking arrangement in the to the machine gun support, the various auxil' engaged position.

iary compressed or depressed Vfluid motors in- Figure 10 is a diagrammatic vertical section of 10 tended to operate the controls for manoeuvring, a pneumatic push valve. 10

for cocking, for ring and for locking the said In the drawings, I0 designates the frame which machine gun, which controls are not xedly consupports the 1operating motors of the arrangenected to the lauxiliary motors, so as to 4permit a "merit,l and which is fixed at II and I2 to the suprapid removal and replacement of the gun on its porting bolts of the machine gun butt I3.

support. A cylinder I6, integral with the said frame, has 15 Further, the invention provides the use, for the a piston I5 with a hollow stem I6 slidable at I'l distribution of pneumatic fluid to the various and having at its end remote from the piston an auxiliary motors, vof either electropneumatic abutment I8 for operating the cocklnghandle I9 valves, or of a distributing cock or push valves, 0f the machine gun when the piStn I5 iS dis- 80 or again the combined use of .such distributing placed by compressed air admitted throughthe 20 'systems in such a way as to obtain a rapid actuport 20 in the motor cylinder I4. A Spring 2| fOr ation of the machine gun controls, whatever be returning the Piston t0 its POSitiOn 0f leSil iS DI'O- l the distance between the gun and the operators vided Within the hOllOW stem IG and is xed at pes@ one end, at 2 2, to the bottom of the said stem and 26 1n one embodiment of the pneumatic operaiat the other end, at 23, at the inlet end of the 25 ing mechanism, the latter comprises a device for cylinder '5- locking the machine gun, which is unlocked auto- A P0 24 is Pmvided in the Wall 0f th? Wim' maticeiiy by the eoeking eperatien of the gun. der I l, to allow for the escape oi! the air com- Various embodiments of the invention are pressed through movement f the'piston |5- 30 hereinafter described with reference' to the M Asecond motor cylinder 25, arranged alongside 30 companying drawings in which; the cylinder I4 and also integral with the frame Figure i is' an 'elevation partly in vertical see I0 is provided with a piston 26 movable against c. tion of an embodiment of the unit comprising the spring 2a b y compressed uid admitted auxiliary motors and operating on compressed though the port 21 provided in the wall of the stig grgiebrglggigesgfig; ggf: girislegelbyzg. stirlieregilrlli'gui tigioseyltizggire ias, 35 ons of fest v iig ii, ti'ti'hsincn it ii e. .im uriiire 2 is avsection on the line 2-2 of Figgak-crgecgaodi aedunked le to alizeii 40 i urllre 3 is., a section on the une 3 3 of Fig' in a convnient walyviiy aoxlrlimlbgr 38s1rlirtgd iinlugurfegs a plm? of .the arrangelient shown onggailuab'itgegeg!:,'ltlleeeilnof the lever 86,

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic viewoi a pneumatic git si trigger n pmvi'ded for ming the 45 'i fluid control system operable by electro-magnetic A third double ectiiig motor cylinder 4| y Valves and designed to be used when' the appa* 'ranged on the frame I Il laterally of the cylinder ratus is Operated by Compressed airc c la opposite the cylinder 25, is provided with a y Figure 6 is a diagrammatic View 0f a pneupiston which can be moved in both'directions 5o' matic uid control system operable by -electroby pneumatic iiuid admitted either through the 5 magnetic valves and designed to be used when port 43 or the port 44 in the cylinder 4|. 1 the apparatus iS Operated by SUCtiQni A stem 45, integral with the piston 42, slides Figure 'l is a diagrammatic view of an alterin' an airtight manner through the end wall of native pneumatic apparatus operated byv comthe cylinder 4I and is linked at 46 to one end of a 1g 56 pressed air, with the iiuid distribution lcontrolled lever 41 pivoted at 48 to the frame I0. The other end 49 of this lever is bentand ends in a fork whose arms 49a and 49h engage one of the lateral projections 50 of the safety lock 5I provided on the butt of the machine gun (Figure 4).

Operation of the motor cylinders when the fluid is compressed vair is as follows: electro- -magnetic valves 52, 53, 54 and 55 (Figure '5) of any known type for distributing pneumatic uid, are connected on the one hand through the pipe 56 to a compressed air reservoir, and on theother hand to each of the motor cylinders.

The valve 52 is connected through the pipe 20a to the port 20 in the cylinder I4. The valve 53 is connected through the pipe 21a to the port 21 in the cylinder 25. The valves 54 and 55 are con- -nected respectively to ports 43 and 44 in' the cylinder 4I through pipes 43a and 44a.

v'I'he coil of each electro-magnetic valve is connected by a conducting wire 58 to one of the poles of a storage battery 51. 'Ihe other pole of the battery 51 is connected by a wire 59 to a switch board provided within the operators reach at the operators place.

The operating circuit of the valve 52 for cocking the machine gun comprises a reversing switch button 60 having two operative positions, which is connected by wires 6I and 62 to a reversing switch 63, the latter being connected by the wire 64 to the coil ofthe valve 52.

'Ihe switch 63 is a reversing switch of any ratchet driven type, whose lever 65 is controlled automatically by the movements of the piston I5 when the latter reaches the end of its operating stroke and is returned to its initial position by resilient means.

The valve 53 which controls the trigger for ring the gun is operated electrically by a push button 66 connected through a wire 61 to the coil of the valve 53.

The two positions of the safety lock 5I are controlled by the valves 54 and 55, the coils of Ywhich may be connected to the battery through the wires 68 and 69 respectively and thethrow over switch 10 which normally breaks the electric circuit. The switch board may be arranged in such a manner that the operator by actuating one of the switches, may control one or more of the machine guns at will.

The operation of the arrangement is as followsz--in an aeroplane with machine guns pro-l vided in the wings, when the pilot or gunner wishes to re he will at iirst cock the machine gun or guns by manipulating the switch 60 which -operates the valve 52 and connects the cylinder I4 to the compressed air source. Under the action of the pneumatic fluid the piston I5 is moved towards the right (Figures 1. and 5) and through the stem I6, and the abutment I8 moves the cooking handle I9, which by this movement cocks the machine gun. When the piston I5 reaches the end of its travel it actuates the lever 65 and operates automatically the reversing switch 63, which breaks the circuit of the coil of thevalve 52, and so cuts oi the compressed air from the cylinder I4 and connects the latter to the atmosphere. 'I'he piston returns then, to its position of rest under the action of the spring 2I.

The cooking handle I9 being `freed from the labutment I8 may move during tiring without being impeded by the said abutment I8.

If it is necessary to cock afresh, the gunner actuates the switch 60 and the same effects will be produced again owing to, the new position taken by the reversing. switch 63 asa result of the previous operation.

The machine gun being cocked, when the gunner pushes the ilrlng button 66. the valve 53 -will be actuated and the uid admitted to the cylinder 25 will operate through the piston 26, the stem 3l and the connecting rod 33, so`as to rock the bell crank lever 35 and 36, the end-abutment 39 of which will depress the trigger 40. To cease iire it is only necessary to break the circuitby releasing the button 66, so that the piston 26 and the members controlled by it, will return to their original position under the action of the spring 28.

If the gunner wishes to engage the'gsafety lock to prevent any accidental firing of the machine gun on landing, or to disengage the said bolt to allow the gun to be operated, he will actuate the throw over switch 10 for closing the circuit 'of the coll of either the valve 54 or the valve 55, which operate the desired displacement of the piston 42 in the double acting cylinder 4i, which, through the stem 45 of the pivoted lever 41 and the fork 49, will actuate the projection 50 on the lock 5I.

'Ihe action of the machine gun is so to say instantaneous, since the electropneumatic Valves may be situated near to the device they operate. The metal bottle or reservoir (not shown) for the compressed air may likewise be located near to the devices to be operated, thus reducing to a minimum the length of piping.

Since air in the bottle is compressed to a pressure of 20 `to 25 kilograms, there is a pressure reducing valve on it'to allow the working pressure to be decreased to 5 kilograms per square centimetre. It is essential also, that the compressed air used should be dry so as to prevent condensation, as a result of expansion, which would induce at high altitudes, the formation of icicles in the pipes, and would so stop the operation of the gun.

-The device such as designed to be operated by compressed airA allows a compact apparatus to be realized, having a minimum of both bulkiness and weight. l

Electro-magnetic control according to the invention may be devised according to an alternative form shown in Figure 6, such aste operate by means of the suction existing in the intake pipe of the internal combustion engines, or by means of a vacuum created in the reservoir 1I by a vacuum pump operated in any convenient manner.A

The mechanical arrangement is substantially the same as for compressed air. Since the motive force is obtained in this alternative construction by the difference in pressure, between thel degree of vacuum and atmospheric pressure movement of the motor pistons will be effected by suction.

Howeven apparatus operating by suction are more bulky than those operated by compressed air.

Indeed, the size of the various operating cylinders must be such that at high altitudes the vacuum will still be suilicient to actuate the various controls of the gun.

According to another system of controlling auxiliary pneumatic motors, the motorsA operating the cooking and locking devices of the gun are connected to the compressed air source through a distributing cock 12 (Figure '7), whilst the motor actuating the trigger for iiring the gun is connected to a iluid source by means of a of the latter.

* aliases of any type, which, in accordance with theposition of a, control handle f18gconnects the iiuid pressure pipe 56 `discharging into said cock at 14, to any one of the pipes2IIa, Ma, or 43a, entering the cock respectively at 15, 16 and 11.

A horse-shoeshaped channel. 18 providedjin the plug of the cock allows `theports 15, 16 and v11 to be connected to ythe atmosphere by way of the port-80. In the positionshown'inFigure 7, the fluid feed pipe 56 .is connected-.to the pipe a of the motor 4|. I

After operating any of the'- motors the control handle 13 is returned to, and held byjany convenient means in an intermediate -position, such as to cut off normally thecommunication between the uid source and the motors, and connect `these latter to theatmospliere.

In order to prevent. the motor pistons from striking harshly the bottom oi' their respective cylinders under the action of pneumatic iluid,

particularly in the case of the motor controllingv the machine gun cooking handle, the invention vprovides means for damping such blows. .I One of these means comprises a cut away portion 8| (Figure 7) onone side of the piston stem I6, which permits air within the cylinder Il, which is forced out by the movement of the piston I5, to escape through the port 2l, until the cylindrical part 82 of this stem enters the bearing .I1 and closesy the port 2l, so preventing further escape of the compressed air, which thus forms an 'air cushion.

Inthe alternative embodiment shown in Figure 8, the apparatus is `provided with a device for locking a machine gun whatever be 'the type The locking device. consists of a cylinder 83 integral with the Yframe I8 and arranged at the side of the cylinder I8. A piston 84 providedwith a stem 85, having a restriction 86, is provided` for movement'in the cylinder 83 against a springl 81 under the inuence of compressed fluid admitted to it through the port 88.

In a guide 88 provided transverse to the axial plane common. to the cylinders Il and 88 at the extreme right of this latter, as shown in Figure 8, there is slidably mounted against the action of a spring 88, a bolt 8| with ahead 82. In the middle of this boltlthere is an opening 88, through which thestem 85 projects, and this middle part is' narrow so as to be able to engage the restriction I, A ramp 84 is formed at the extreme right of the stem I6, so as to lift the bolt 8| by acting on its head 82, when the stem is moved. Y

The operation of the locking arrangement is as follows-When having ceased firing, the gunner wishes to lock the machine gun, he operates the control for the ladmission of uid to the port 88.

The piston 8| is moved towards the right under the inuence of compressed air and moves with it the stem 85, whose end comes into contact with the cocking handle I 8, thus preventing vmovement of this latter at one point in its travel, and so mechanically locking the automatic means of the .machine gun and stopping its lire.

as to engage'the edges of the opening 83 on the restriction 86, thus preventing the stem i'roml returning -to the left when uid pressure is removed from the piston. 84. At this moment, the mechanism is inthe position shown in Figure 9. 'In order to unlock the gun and so'allow fresh firing, it is only necessary to eiiectfthe cocking operation. During this latter operation, movement of the stem ofthe piston l'coacts with the controlled by a separate valve.

Such a valve is shown'in Figure y10 and consists of a valve casing 85, in which two valves 86 and 81 lined with elastic material, connected by a u stem 88, maybe moved against a spring 88 under the infiuenceof pressure on the push-button |80, so as to connect the uid inlet port IM by way of. chamber |02, with the fluid exit port |03, this latter being normally in communication with the port |05, communicating with the atmosphere.

It should be understood that the valve which has just been described may equally well be used for the control of any deviceA operated by compressed fluid. Finally, it should be understood that the pneumatic machine gun control mechanism is arranged in such a f-way as to allow-'the rapid removal and replacement of a damaged gun. -Indeed, in order to remove the gun, it is suiiicient l to disconnect the pivotal connection 38, which -consists of a spring pressed ball joint, provided in the trigger control rodding, and then to remove the gunlaterally, which eects a simultaneous disconnection of the gun but from the supporting bolts and I2, and also of the safety lock 5| and the cooking handle I8, from their respective controlling members;

To put the machine gun in place the operations l are reversed. v

What I.- claim is:

1. In a pneumatic device for the remote control of machine guns mounted on a support, the combination of. a gun including a cooking device, a trigger and locking mechanism, a rst auxiliary motor having a pneumatic driving member, re-

silient means acting upon said member, an abutment on said member to coact with the cooking device, a second auxiliary motor having a pneumatic driving member, resilient means acting upon the latter member, means actuated by said second driving member to coact'with the trigger,`

and a double acting auxiliary motor` having a pneumatic driving member for. coacting with the locking means, said double acting auxiliary motor actuated in one direction to engage the locking means and in the other direction to disengage said locking means, said auxiliary motors being moimted on a common support to form a single -monoblock unit independent of the gun and xed onto the gun support to allow rapid removal and replacement of the gun from and to its support, and means for distributing compressed fluid from a distance to said `pneumatic motors.

. '2. In a ,device for the remote control of machine guns,according to claim 1, characterized by theA fact that the means for distributing compressed iiuld to the pneumatic motorscomprise a iluidl distributor for each pneumatic motor, three chambers formed in said distributor, the iirst of said chambers being in communication with the source of fluid, the second chamber being in communication with the pneumatic motors, and the third chamber being in communication with the atmosphere, a valve in said rst chamber, a seat in said chamber for said valve, a spring acting upon said valve, an elastic lining on the head of said valve to be normally pressed upon said seat by the combined action of said spring and of the compressed uid acting on the underside oi said valve, a second valve provided in the third chamber, a seat for said second Y valve, an elastic lining on said second valve to be pressed against the seat for the said second valve when the latter isactuated to cut the communication between the atmosphere and the pneumatic motor, and means integral with said second Valve for depressing the said rst valve and establishing communication between the source of compressed uid and the motor when the said second valve is actuated.

3. In a pneumatic device for the remote control of the actuating members of a machine gun, the combination of a breech block and cocking means, a cylinder associated with the gun, a piston operating in the cylinder, a piston rod extending from the piston, iiuid pressure means for operating the piston in one direction, a spring for operating the piston in the opposite direction, the free end of the piston rod when the piston is operated by uid pressure extending into the path of movement of the cocking means to limit the movement of the breech block whenthe gun is red and to automatically lock the cocking device.

4. In a pneumatic device for the remote control of the actuating members of a machine gun, the combination of a breech block and cocking means, a cylinder associated with the gun, a piston operating in the cylinder, a piston rod extending from the piston,-iluid pressure means for operating the piston in one direction, a spring for operating the piston in the opposite direction, the free end'of the piston rod when the piston is operated by uid pressure extending into the path of movement of the cocking means to limit the movement of the breech block when the gun is fired and to automatically lock the cocking device, means for automatically locking thev piston and its rod in operative position, and iiuid pressure means for unlocking the piston and its rod to permit the spring to return the parts to normal position.

5. In a pneumatic device for the remote control of the actuating members of a machine gun, the

combination of a breech block and cocking means,

a cylinder associated with the gun, a piston operating in the cylinder, a piston rod extending from the piston and formed with an annular groove, fluid pressure means for operating the piston in one direction, a spring for operating the piston in the opposite direction, the free end of the piston rod when the piston is operated by fluid pressure extending into the path of movement of the cocking means to limit the movement of the breech block when the gun is fired, and to automatically lock the cocking device, a guide arranged at right angles to the pistonV rod, a bolt slidably mounted in the guide, a spring acting on the bolt' to cause the latter to engage in the groove in the piston rod when the latter is operated by fluid-pressure and reaches the limit of its operating position, iluid operated means for disengaging the bolt from the groove to unlock the cocking means, and means for distributing fluid to the cylinder and the bolt disengaging means.

6. In a pneumatic device f or the remote control of the actuating members of a machine gun,

the combination of a breech block and cocking matically lock the cocking device, a guide ar' ranged at right angles to the piston rod, a bolt slidably mounted in the guide, said bolt having its free end bevelled, a spring acting ,on the bolt to cause the latter to engage in the groove in the `piston rod when the latter is operated by fluid pressure and reaches the limit of its operating position, a second cylinder, a piston and rod operating in said second mentioned cylinder, a tappet on the free end'of the second mentioned piston rod to cooperate with the breech block and cocking means upon operation of the-second mentioned piston by fluid pressure, a spring-for returning the second mentioned piston tonor'mal position, the

second mentioned piston rod having a cam shaped recess near its free end with which the bevelled end of the bolt cooperates to release the rst mentioned piston rod and free the cocking means when the second mentioned piston is actuated by uidpressure.

RAYMOND DEFIvEs. 

